chief correspondent jim angle is live in washington with more. hi, jim. >> reporter: hello, jenna. what started out as an effort to by ronald reagan to help people in rural areas to have a phone in case of emergencies what critics suspect is a new welfare program, listen. >> the cost has gone from $143 million a few years ago, to $2.2 billion today, a 15 times increase. >> reporter: now the cost of the program lept after cell phones were added in 2008. only those on low income programs such as welfare and food stamps legally qualify. but lawmakers say the program is out of control. >> i got a solicitation for a free phone at my apartment which is certainly not in a building where you're going to have people who are qualified for free phones. there is clearly money being wasted here. >> the fcc said in a recent year there were 270,000 beneficiaries that had more than one of these subsidized cell phones that is completely against the law right there. >> reporter: now funded by a small tax on all phone bills you can see it on yours, the program has exploded with companies advertising